Perfect Excuse

i mentioned in my last post that i am going to show you guys the reason why i've been M.I.A. lately. although i know i've done this a couple of times before, going on hiatus for weeks or even months, but my excuse now is quite legit compared to my i-lack-in-creative-inspiration-hence-the-lack-of-post reason all the time.

if you've been reading this blog long enough, you'll remember that i've posted a lot of times before about remodelling and furnishing a house. supervising the men, taking down some parts here, adding a little more there, repainting this and DIY-ing that. all these and more that time flew by so swiftly i didn't even realize that i haven't posted anything for 3 long months already. and so..

it's still a work in progress but i couldn't be any happier. less than a year into our marriage, THIS happened. i cannot thank my parents enough for helping us get started, for making the first step and eventually entrusting us to see this project through. this is all but a dream and i couldn't be any more proud of my husband for taking on such a huge responsibility. being on our own (in a way cos we eat breakfast here but lunch and dinner at my parents house HAHAHA!) is such an exhilarating experience. we still have a lot to learn and im just happy that we have a lifetime to explore the odds and ends together.

what the master's looked like 2 weeks before we moved in. repainted the walls light gray (original color was mocha) and decided not change the 2-layer mattress no-frame bed with our baby girl in mind. babyproofed for us! ;)

i've decided to make this not just a fashion blog but also a home design/interior blog where i will post some DIYs, decorating ideas and some other home knick knacks which i think will benefit most of my readers.

Vania's little corner (spot the baby sleeping!) i went over the moon when i saw these wall decals selling for no more than 500pesos per design! i initially wanted a safari-like theme but the designs available were a little too boyish so i settled for the cherry blossom tree and birds on wires designs. She loved it! i am about to buy glow-in-the-dark stars to add in there since my butterball loves to look at "TARS" as she would call them ;) but Vania is now co-sleeping with me so this little corner only houses her pillow, bolster pillows and some stuffed toys now.

before we moved in, i wanted to place her crib in the corner opposite the bed but decided against it at the last minute. i didn't think she'd feel comfortable with our bed far from where she's sleeping. and i was right. haha.

i am all for reversible comforter sets! some days when i dont feel like seeing too much print, i use this light-gray chevron print side. this Canadian set is a little pricey but it is worth every single cent!

during our US trip, my sister and i saw these pink and black slimline velvet hangers selling at 50% off the original the price and thought that we just had to buy a few. we bought 2 dozens of each color and regretted the decision. thankfully, a few months after our trip, SnR Cebu carried this design but with hooks. it was perfection until i realized i needed more (since i left my old ones in my old closet) and they were already sold out.

these i bought from True Value. same design and quality and they're selling them per piece. perfect for those who doesn't need more than a dozen :)

but of course. i need extra (very little) helping hands to organize my closet. haha!

closet side A. customized shelves and hanging rods installed by my husband (thank you, love!) fabric bins in varied sizes i bought from SnR while those 4 floral (not clearly seen in this photo) print sunglasses storage boxes i bought from Fab Manila. the husband and i temporarily share this closet for now since our plan for closet B installation is stalled because of...

THIS.
hahaha! we're utilizing this space as her play/work area and eventually, her own bed goes on here until she's brave enough to move to her own bedroom. so my closet wont be complete until hmm.. say, 2025? hahaha!

moving on to the rest of the house..

this attic will house most of my books, souvenirs from all of my husband's travels, Isabel's old stuff, Vania's collection (whatever it/they may be), our family's memorabilia and my snowglobes. our library, my blogging space. now to find that perfect couch and that elusive lucite chair..

i have an undying love affair with solid wood planks for stairs. it started with our first house project and i was hooked thereafter. so you can just imagine my delight when i saw this the first time we made an ocular visit! had it stained Brown Mahogany (original was a Natural stain) but now considering about re-staining it again. Chestnut, perhaps? :)

this 4 seater dining table came with the purchase but i DIY-ed the chairs.

i wanted to achieve a shabby chic vibe but i couldn't go distressed all the way so i sanded it lightly at the edges and corners and retained most of its turquoise and white paint.

i found this weather-beaten glass display cabinet in the stockroom and decided to upcycle it. sanded, spray-painted and lined the interior with Laura Ashley's shelf liner i bought from SnR. this DIY now hangs in our powder room.

sticking to our preferred theme. these beautiful candle holders were such a steal! and its a delight that i was able to buy a fruit basket in the same design. oh, cosmos!

mason jars in all sizes for kitchen organization. i need more though, in bigger sizes and in different designs, for the stockroom.

these i bought from my favorite thrift shop! they carry a whole lot of glassware goodness and from this batch, this goblet is my absolute favorite! more of my thrifted glassware in a separate post!

these owl throw pillows i bought from Forever21 a few months ago and i cringe at the thought that they are now selling at half the price! talk about bad timing. anyway, these owls sit in the living room but will soon move to the attic as soon as i find the perfect couch.

gardening is more fun with colorful garden gloves. it makes the job less boring. yes?
i am just happy that my parents were able to resuscitate this garden back to life.

this is far from the very well-manicured garden of my parents (obviously, my inspiration) but we're slowly working on it. the stone walkway is greatly influenced by a spa garden i visited in Napa. pebbled footpath and white stones are from JB Rock Garden.

there's still a lot of things to do, so many jobs to accomplish and im not even halfway through my to-do list yet but like what my husband would always say, baby steps. baby steps :)

most of the photos are from my instagram account @tonipino